1. Social Sustainability: Linking Research to Policy and Practice
Dr Andrea Colantonio Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development (OISD)
Oxford Brookes University
'Sustainable Development - a Challenge for European Research' , May 2009, Brussels

2. Today’s presentation 1. Background
Social Sustainability Theory and Definition
Theory-Policy Linkages
Assessment Methods and Practice
Metrics
Conclusions

3. Background
The paper draws upon our EIBURS (European Investment Bank University Research Sponsorship Programme) study
Three year research project examining ‘best practices’ to measure and monitor socially sustainable urban regeneration (e.g. assessment methods, metrics etc.)

4. Why is social sustainability important?
Emerging concept although least studied and often overlooked dimension of Sustainable Development
At the heart of the sustainable communities agenda (Bristol Accord, 2005)

5. What is Social Sustainability?
the social preconditions for sustainable development or the need to sustain specific structures and customs in communities and societies? (Sach, 1999)
the finality of development whilst economic and environmental sustainabilities are both goals of sustainable development and instruments to its achievement (Assefa and Frostell, 2007)?
Is it an end state? or a socio-economic process?

6. Definitions of Social Sustainability
Fuzzy understanding of the concept and no general agreement over its definition
Our definition:
… how individuals, communities and societies live with each other and set out to achieve the objectives of development models, which they have chosen for themselves taking also into account the physical boundaries of their places and planet earth as a whole…

7. Traditional Emerging Social Sustainability Key Themes and Domains
Demographic change (ageing and international migration)
Empowerment, Participation and Access
Identity, Sense of Place and Culture
Health and Safety
Social mixing and cohesion
Social Capital
Well being, Happiness and Quality of life
Basic needs, including Housing
Education and skills
Equity
Employment
Human rights
Poverty
Social justice

8. Theoretical Research Approaches to Social Sustainability
Main Authors
Timeline
Equity and Human Rights (e.g. poverty studies and unequal development)
Sen (1985, 1992), Sachs (2001)
Since mid-1980s
Capital Stock
(e.g. Social Capital, Environmental capital equity and cities’ footprint)
Coleman (1988), Putnam (1993), Rees and Wackernagel (1996)
Since late 1980s
Institutional Theory and Governance
(e.g. participation and stakeholder analysis)
Chambers (1992)
Healey (1992)
Since early 1990s
Business and Corporate studies
(e.g. Triple Bottom Line, Corporate Social Responsibility)
 Elkington (1994)
Since mid-1990s
Behavioural and Social Sciences
(Well-being, health and happiness perspective)
Layard (2005)
Since late 1990s
Transition Theory
Rotmans, Loorbach et al. (2006)
2000s

9. Theory-Policy Linkages

10. The linkages between theory and policy depend on
Level of abstraction of the theory
Feasibility and implementation costs
Complexity and sophistication
Nature of the dialogue and communication channels existing between researchers and policy-makers

11. Social Sustainability Assessment
There is paucity of specific social sustainability assessment (SSA) methodologies
The assessment is often conducted
through social impact assessment (SIA), which is extended to include other sustainability pillars
by ‘stretching’ Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to incorporate social issues
by broadening the definition of environment, and hence the thematic coverage of theme-specific assessment such as SIA Hacking and Guthrie (2007)

12. The scope of SIA content has widened since the 1990s, however,
limited methodological information
there is insufficient analysis of the links between socio-economic components
quantification is limited and mainly focused on demographics, employment, services and facilities provision, and
limited community engagement and reduced involvement of a wide range of stakeholders (Glasson and Wood, 2008)

13. Recent Sustainability Assessment-Related Legislation in the EU
Environmental Impact Assessment, since through Directives 85/337/EEC and 97/11/EC
Strategic Environmental Assessment since mid 1990s and formally adopted in 2001 through the SEA Directive 2001/42/EC
Sustainability Impact Assessment, introduced by DG trade in 1999
EU Impact Assessment System introduced in 2003 to enhance the quality of the Commission regulatory activity

14. Social Sustainability Metrics
Early emphasis on basic needs vs recent attention towards governance, representation and other institutional factors
Trade-offs: technical weights vs recent emphasis on ‘sound judgement’, as well as leadership and communication skills (Egan, 2004).
Reemergence of ‘community’ and the ‘local level’
Shift from purely statistics-based indicators toward hybrid sets of indicators that mix quantitative data and qualitative information

15. Traditional Emerging Social Sustainability Indicators
Intergenerational with uncertainty
Hybrid
Process
Strategic
Multi-dimensional
Principles and Objectives driven
Deliberative and reiterative selection
Static
Mainly Quantitative
Product
Descriptive
Mono-dimensional
Target oriented
Top down selection

16. Sustainability Assessment
Draft of
© Colantonio (2009)
Social Sustainability Assessment
Framework (SSAF)
(not included in the paper)
Social
Sustainability
Social
mixing/
cohesion
Identity,
Image,
Heritage
Well-being
Empowerment,
Participation,
Access
Practice
Methods, Themes and Indicators
Housing &
Environment
Education
Employment
Demography
Health and
Safety
Sustainability Assessment
Policy
Principles and Objectives
Intra- and inter-
Generational
Equity
Recognition
and
Preservation of
Diversity
Protection and
Promotion of
Health and
Safety
Uncertainty
Principle
Precautionary
Principle
Theory
Approaches
Equity and
Human Rights
Capital Stock
Institutional
Theory and
Governance
Business
and
Corporate studies
Behavioural and
Welfare
Economics
Transition
Theory

17. Conclusions
Emerging ‘soft’ themes are becoming central to the social sustainability debate, together with traditional ‘hard’ themes
Future growing importance of softer themes as societies become more affluent and less worried about basic needs
Importance of principles, objectives, themes and indicators for policy-making
Need for a systematic study of the linkages between theory, policy and practice at EU level

18. Contacts Dr Andrea Colantonio
Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development (OISD)
Oxford Brookes University
United Kingdom